Tips on spicing up a ii-V-I?

[jancivil]

I like the above strategy of considering the ii as a precursor, like a suspension (or double suspension) to resolve to V.

for instance, ii over a V bass (given vertically from the bass):

G D F C
G Db F B

when I was little, someone handed me one of these Mickey Baker chord progression pamphlets. it had this strategy:

start with a ii 11:

D C F G

consider the 7th as moveable, in parallel; you see D/C move 1/2 step down to Db/Cb while holding onto ('suspending') the other components.

D C F G
Db Cb F G

now move the other two notes down (in parallel a 1/2 step), and repeat the parallel 7ths move:

Db Cb Fb Gb
C Bb E F#

each V becomes the new ii, cyclically. This is a variant of the b5 substitute manuever, which is designed to obtain facility in chromatic movement out of the cycle of fifths sort of thinking.

now, how to apply this to a given set of changes is another lesson altogether, but you have a device to study and gain an understanding of voice leading that's perhaps more applicable to a jazz approach than the usual suspects in the classical paradigm.

[Kosh42EFG]

ii-V-I are everywhere in jazz.

And not just in Jazz; it is a very common progression in many style of music since the 17th century.
The ii is often in first inversion; that is, with the 3rd at the bottom. <snip>

Another thing you could do is insert the tonic chord in second inversion between iib and V. The progression then becomes ii7b--Ic-V7--I. You will find that Ic and V are very similar, in fact the chord is essentially an appoggiatura to V. In chord Ic, the root and third should resolve downwards by step.

I did an Open University course in music theory (A214 - now superseded with A224 if any was interested). My tutor was very adamant that our text books were wrong, and that Ic does not exist! It's just V with a double appoggiatura as you have said...

Kosh

[jancivil]

you say tomato, I say...